Love is a many splendored thing, as we are reminded in a wonderful old film with William Holden and Jennifer Jones. Many ordinary people in the course of their lives find themselves in an extraordinary romantic situation. It may be on the loading dock, in an office, at a party, or just by a chance meeting. Who can really say how a romance happens? Most discard these romances after they realize that continuing down that path might ruin their marriage or break up their lover's marriage or for a number of other reasons. This story is about an Italian named Mario. Mario is one of those people who...

We are currently fighting a War in Iraq. The Middle East is in turmoil. Tribal names such as Sunni, Kurds, and Shiites, are bandied about by the media. Most people outside of the Middle East, do not have a clue as to how this puzzle in the sands and mountains fits together. JJ Conte's book will let the reader take a snapshot of ten centuries of religious wars in the Middle East, beginning with the nine Holy Crusades, and concluding with the current wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The first eight chapters are historical and all ten centuries culminate in a surprise ending in Chapter 9.